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Anti-Gender Developments

Indonesia: Female Police Applicants Subjected to Virginity Tests

Monday, November 24, 2014

Human Rights Watch (HRW) reports that women in Indonesia must submit to invasive virginity tests in order to be considered for police jobs. Women police applicants told HRW that the tests were humiliating and often very painful. HRW argues that the virginity tests violate women’s internationally recognized rights to dignity and moral and physical integrity.

In the HRW report, the Indonesian women’s rights group, Nurani Perempuan, said, “[t]hese policewomen experience trauma and stress while doing the virginity tests, yet [the National Police make] no clear attempt to help them recover.”

HRW interviewed several current and former female police applicants as well as representatives of the Indonesian National police force to compile its report. Officials with the Indonesian National police have pledged to abolish virginity tests, but according to HRW and local women’s groups, little has changed and the tests continue.

Compiled from: Indonesia: ‘Virginity Tests” For Female Police, Human Rights Watch (November 18, 2014).

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